Yittz's Clinic!!

[LuNaR]

Probably been asked a million times before, but yes, something like lack of sleep.

Lately i've had heaps of problems falling asleep even if i feel really tired, and so i've been basically getting around 2 hours of sleep a night, occasionally none. I feel really exhausted but i still can't sleep, and this is unusual because i usually sleep about 9-10 hours a day. I'm also waking up at about 5 am because it seems the sun does as well.

Tips on sleeping better? Please don't say 'try and clear your mind' because i think the reason i can't sleep is that i'm thinking too much.
Is there some way to blank out your mind without resorting to strange drugs and medicine?

this is what i do, imagine urself as a wuxia hero and try to write ur own wuxia story while ur sleeping. soon u'll fall asleep. or last resort, think about me

[ghostdarTeal'c]

Tips on sleeping better? Please don't say 'try and clear your mind' because i think the reason i can't sleep is that i'm thinking too much.
Is there some way to blank out your mind without resorting to strange drugs and medicine?

hmm....i kinda need an advice on this too, a bit different but it's still has got something to do with sleeping....my sleeping clock starts at around 2AM....and i wake up at 6. i know it's not healthy, my friends nag at me a lot....but the thing is i just cant sleep any earlier. couple of times i tried sleeping at 12 and i wake up with a headache.......any idea what my problem is?

[yittz]

this is what i do, imagine urself as a wuxia hero and try to write ur own wuxia story while ur sleeping. soon u'll fall asleep. or last resort, think about me

This is sad, but I do it too. So on a serious note, try to imagine an environment you are comfortable in - don't think about daily worries and troubles, go to a fantasy world. Um this is embarrassing, haha.

[yittz]

To triple 0 and ghost:

Identify the cause of sleeping disorder - is it stress, drugs, other psychological disorder, or a physical cause. For both of you it seems to be bad sleeping habits/stress.

Non-drug treatment:
- Exercise regularly (avoid strenuous activity before bedtime).
- Avoid large meals and excessive fluids before bedtime.
- Control your environment. Light, noise, and elevated room temperature can disrupt sleep.
- Your biological clock is sensitive to light.

(summarised from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/insomnia/page6_em.htm)

I think Han Solo mentioned earlier - sleep hygiene is very important - if sleeping is difficult, must create an environment and habit that favours sleep.

You might want to look at other parts of that website, it's pretty good. Triple 0's seem pretty severe, might want to check it out and seek medication if the behavioural and environmental modification (and fantasising ) don't work.

[Guo Xiang]

It's the entirely opposite for me --- I can't sleep if I keep imagining and thinking about stuff. I have to empty out my thoughts before I can get to sleep.

[0-0-0]

This is sad, but I do it too. So on a serious note, try to imagine an environment you are comfortable in - don't think about daily worries and troubles, go to a fantasy world. Um this is embarrassing, haha.

do what too? think about lunar?

Well since everyone else is owning up to it, i admit that i get to sleep most of the time by imagining myself in an environment similar to, um let's just Jin Yong online type world where you run into erm, lots of characters from uh, lots of different novels... somehow all really hot...

but i know i've having some kind of problem when i can't get to sleep and that stupid world fills up with strange stuff from the outside world (lol, this sounds a bit like the Neverending story, for those who've seen it, ONLY I DON'T REMEMBER HOW HE STOPS THE WORLDS FROM COLLIDING!)

the thing is, my sleeping patterns are usually very healthy. I'm a standard 10pm to bed and then 7:30am up in the morning, i have a very comfortable bed and an adorable pillow... Plus, i usually exercise pretty regularly and i eat dinner quite early and then drink some milk before i go to sleep.

i guess it's safe for me to identify the cause as stress. The funny thing is that i'm perfectly fine at the moment if a little sleep deprived, but it seems all my stress gets released in the form of laying awake and thinking at night.

[yearning]

Wow, hmm, it's the completely opposite for me. When I'm unhappy about something, I just go to sleep and it works like a charm because I forget about all my problems the instant I lie on the bed.

Have you guys tried heavy exercise before sleeping? What about reading really boring books? If you think about fantasy worlds and stories, it's just going to get you excited, and then you really can't sleep. I used to play out the plots of my 'creative writing' stories like a movie or write stuff in my head...but that prohibited me from sleeping and sometimes if I get a really good idea, I'll actually get up and go type it out.

[LuNaR]

do what too? think about lunar?

Well since everyone else is owning up to it, i admit that i get to sleep most of the time by imagining myself in an environment similar to, um let's just Jin Yong online type world where you run into erm, lots of characters from uh, lots of different novels... somehow all really hot...

but i know i've having some kind of problem when i can't get to sleep and that stupid world fills up with strange stuff from the outside world (lol, this sounds a bit like the Neverending story, for those who've seen it, ONLY I DON'T REMEMBER HOW HE STOPS THE WORLDS FROM COLLIDING!)

the thing is, my sleeping patterns are usually very healthy. I'm a standard 10pm to bed and then 7:30am up in the morning, i have a very comfortable bed and an adorable pillow... Plus, i usually exercise pretty regularly and i eat dinner quite early and then drink some milk before i go to sleep.

i guess it's safe for me to identify the cause as stress. The funny thing is that i'm perfectly fine at the moment if a little sleep deprived, but it seems all my stress gets released in the form of laying awake and thinking at night.

u sure think about me a lot

anyways i think sleeping at 10pm is the problem. that is way too early, how can u expect to fall asleep. try sleeping at 12 and waking up at 8.

[0-0-0]

u sure think about me a lot

anyways i think sleeping at 10pm is the problem. that is way too early, how can u expect to fall asleep. try sleeping at 12 and waking up at 8.

to be honest, i can't afford to wake up later than 7:30

and i have no idea if you look like any of the people in my dreams because you never posted up your photo did you?

[LuNaR]

to be honest, i can't afford to wake up later than 7:30

and i have no idea if you look like any of the people in my dreams because you never posted up your photo did you?

then sleep at 11:30 and wake up at 7:30. why do u sleep at 10... that is way too early.

no digital camera im not a picture taking person lol (i dont even got a myspace, go figure )

[Sourplum]

Hmm, usually on weekdays I get to sleep at around 12, and wake up at 7 or 8. Fridays and Saturdays I allow myself to stay up longer. I used to have a lot of trouble sleeping when I was a little younger, around the age of 7-13. These past two years have been a lot easier for me get to sleep, as I'll only need a few minutes to drift off. To tell you the truth, people have suggested a lot of things to me like imagining I'm somewhere else, reading a book, and even repeating a pray (urrgh! I'm not a religious person and that only worsened things )

None of that helped me, and I thought I was going crazy I tell you, but I started to adjust myself before sleeping. Triple 0, and Ghost, have you guys thought about what your surroundings and environment, and practices mgiht be affecting your sleeping patterns? I'm not an expert, and I'm not going to condone what I say.

Have you thought that maybe you're overdressing when you're going to sleep? If it helps, try wearing less (that doesn't mean nothing at all!) or if you're coming back from a hard day at work or uni or school or whatever, try to get changed into your pjs, because work attire and casual wear (especially jeans, jackets, sweaters) may make you feel uncomfortable when you're lyring down in bed and trying to snooze off.

Have you tried listening to music as you lie in bed and try to get to sleep (this really helps me, and it's better if your mp3/ipod/music player has a setting to automatically turn off). It usually helps when you go to bed on a empty mind- I know it's not as easy as I say, but it helps, so try to limit doing things that give you a little TOO much stress and hopefully, that'll ease things down a bit.

Some people say it's not good to go to bed on an empty stomach, but I prefer to have enough fluid and food in my body to go to sleep. When I'm hungry, I can't get to sleep because my stomach ache keeps me awake. It's up to you though.

There's these body pillows we have at home, and they're really helpful if you're sleep facing a side. Thought you might like to give them a try.

Yittz, I have a BIG problem! I've been breathing through my mouth for all my life, and I REALLY, want to kick the habit. Any tips? I'm going to go to the GP tomorrow and have a check up. It's strange, because a couple of years ago, my family and I went to a specialist and he performed an operation on me to get those things which were stopping me from breathing through my nose, and it seems to work a little. But, I've returned to mouth-breathing; every time I try to breathe through my nose, it feels really uncomfortable, it doesn't hurt but it makes my nose feel heavy. I know mouth-breathing isn't healthy.

Also, why is it that I can't talk and breathe through my nose at the same time> That's really frustrating, and it doesn't help the situation.

[yittz]

What's the reason that cause you to mouthbreathe - why do your nose feel heavy - is there adenoids enlargement, or blocked sinuses etc.? You have to treat the cause of the problem. There's band aid from pharmacy stores as well.

It'd be great if you share with us what the GP told you.

[pemberly]

hello dr. yittz. for the past few weeks, i've been feeling nauseous like all the time. not dizzy, but just that weird feeling in your mouth like you're going to puke. i try eating something to settle my stomach, but it doesn't help.

[yittz]

Are their any other symptoms - any vomiting or the just urge to vomit - does anything come out - what? Any change in bowel habits (diarrhoea, constipation)? Any change in diet, appetite? Any weight loss? Any fever/general feeling of unwellness? No dizziness - what about headache?

The nausea - you say it's always there, but does the feeling increase or decrease through the day (morning night)? Is it triggered by anything, does food make if worse? Have you tried any medications for it - do they work? How bad is it?

Any recent infection/illness/trauma? Is pregnancy possible?

A few weeks is quite long - might want to get it check out by your GP.

[LuNaR]

Are their any other symptoms - any vomiting or the just urge to vomit - does anything come out - what? Any change in bowel habits (diarrhoea, constipation)? Any change in diet, appetite? Any weight loss? Any fever/general feeling of unwellness? No dizziness - what about headache?

The nausea - you say it's always there, but does the feeling increase or decrease through the day (morning night)? Is it triggered by anything, does food make if worse? Have you tried any medications for it - do they work? How bad is it?

Any recent infection/illness/trauma? Is pregnancy possible?

A few weeks is quite long - might want to get it check out by your GP.

pemberly is pregnant

[HuangYushi]

Any recent infection/illness/trauma? Is pregnancy possible?

pemberly is pregnant

Eh, "possibility" does NOT equal "is"!
Nausea can be caused by a lot of things:
1. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdo...mptom/529.html
2. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/ma...ticlekey=24732
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nausea
and so on.

[pemberly]

everybody asks if i'm preggers. -_- and no, i'm not. no chance at all. pembie so alone!

Are their any other symptoms - any vomiting or the just urge to vomit - does anything come out - what? Any change in bowel habits (diarrhoea, constipation)? Any change in diet, appetite? Any weight loss? Any fever/general feeling of unwellness? No dizziness - what about headache?

it feels like i might vomit, but it never gets that far. (no gagging). and lately, i've been trying to cut back on junk food and going to the gym every day, so there is some weight loss. but i started doing that around april. no dizziness, but headache sometimes. and i had my thyroid checked at the end of august, and that was all fine.

The nausea - you say it's always there, but does the feeling increase or decrease through the day (morning night)? Is it triggered by anything, does food make if worse? Have you tried any medications for it - do they work? How bad is it?

i have it pretty much all day, and it stops about an hour before i go to bed. food doesn't make it worse. when i eat, it goes away, but comes back about 15 minutes after i'm done. and i haven't tried any medication for it. it's not that bad. bearable, just not very pleasant.

Any recent infection/illness/trauma? Is pregnancy possible?

A few weeks is quite long - might want to get it check out by your GP.

recent illness? well, 2 days ago i imbided a little too much alcohol and got sick, but i was feeling unwell before that already. i'm actually going to a doctor tomorrow, but to a dermatologist for something completely unrelated.

ha ha, and nausea = pregnancy? this is not a tvb serial.

[GuGu]

Okay, so I think this insomnia thing is out of control. I haven't slept in the last 48 hours and I'm at work tired as hell! What is wrong with me? Even though I'm tired right now, I know that when I get home I will be completely awake. Maybe it's because of the coffee that I'm drinking right now but I don't care I must be awake for at least another 6 hours for work and to drive home safely.

Okay, so tell me some things to do to get rid of this thing. I am so tired!

[creamcheese007]

hello dr. yittz. for the past few weeks, i've been feeling nauseous like all the time. not dizzy, but just that weird feeling in your mouth like you're going to puke. i try eating something to settle my stomach, but it doesn't help.

Maybe H. Pylori/stomach bacterial infection?

[GuGu]

Pembie, my friend is feeling the same way as you! She puked like 4 times the other day! And no, she is not pregnant. But it was so bad that she had to stop driving and pull over to puke! I just saw the nursing supervisor and was told that some kind of virus is going around. YIKES! I hope I don't catch it. It would be so bad with my insomnia.